Vendor Locators
Lima Vending Machine Locator
Lima Ohio is the county seat of Allen County. It lies about midway between Toledo and Dayton along Interstate 75. Toledo is north about 70 miles. Dayton is south about 70 miles. Founded in 1831 - Lima has about 40,000 people in the city.
Lima is home to St Rita's Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. It is the largest employer in Allen County with about 4,000 employees.
There have been three major expansions of the hospital since its 1918 founding. The first one was in 1945 at the end of World War II. The third one is finishing up now, having started in 2005 to transform St Rita's into "The Medical Center of the Future."
And the third one in 1967 - of special interest to me - was headed up by Sister Mary Edwardine of the Catholic Religious Sisters of Mercy. Sister was an amazing woman. Her career included being a fourth grade educator, a registered nurse, head of surgery for the nursing staff in Toledo Ohio, and hospital administrator and CEO of St Rita's before moving to Tiffin Ohio. She also served on many area corporate boards, and met Pope John Paul II on his visit to America.
Even years later - ask the folks of Lima about Sister Edwardine. They will remember her as fondly as I do. In fact, many of them did in February 2007 when they paid their last respects to her. She was 90. Lima is St Rita's. And St Rita's is Sister Mary Edwardine R.S.M. .
Lima has been a center for Ohio retail since the 1970s. It also has a large Ford Motor engine plant. General Dynamics has also been part of Lima - producing tanks for the military at one time.
I always wondered how Lima came to have such a large oil refinery along I-75. I've travelled Texas and Oklahoma - places where oil is SUPPOSED to be. But Lima Ohio ? It seems that Lima was once a world-class oil producer. Between 1887 and 1905 Lima pumped millions of barrels of oil. The oil dried up in the early 20th century, but the refinery survived more than 100 years later.
Wapakoneta
Home of Neil Armstrong. First man to walk on the moon. That in itself is reason enough for tourists going along I-75 to pull off on the Wapakoneta exit and take a look around. The novelty of being in his hometown. Folks at the Wendys and McDonalds and other restaurants stop by from their travels just to ask a few questions. How do I know this ? Because I stop by just to observe the customer flow and traffic - that's part of the secret of understanding where to place vending machines and what kind of vending machines to place. Understand the customer !
So what kinds of folks stop in Wapakoneta to look around ? Well, by and large, people who didn't plan ahead of time to go there. They spotted the exit sign, or saw a blurb in their travel book or on their AAA trip-tik and decided to stop.
We can all use a potty break. It's been over an hour since we left Toledo or Dayton or Cinci. I could use a burger. Won't it be great to tell Aunt Val that we stopped in the town Neil Armstrong is from ?
So I develop customer profiles by watching - by listening - by talking with them. You figure out your customers by what THEY say and think - not by your own pre-conceived ideas. And then you observe where they go. What are they buying ? Do they have kids ? Note that often kids get their parents to buy something they find in a vending machine with a simple principle of raising kids - the Force of Eternal Pestering. Parents will let the kids play the crane game, or get a soda or buy an ice cream - to keep peace in the car for the upcoming next leg of their trip. I watch where this happens, and listen to what the children think is Cool. Over time you develop patterns of behavior, customer profiles and hot locations to place the vending machine of your choice. Not quite that simple - but a big part of how to place a vending machine of the right kind in the best location.
Anyway - Wapakoneta has a lot of these great locations and the variety of vending machines in demand is quite extensive. VendorLocators would be pleased to help you find the ideal locations for your vending machines in the Lima and Wapakoneta area.
Lima and Bluffton and Wapakoneta vending machine locations can bring large profits to your vending machine business. Their strategic location along I-75 along with a population that has lived in the area for many years provides a stable business atmosphere for a vendor wanting to become a part of their community. Work and live in the community - not just run a vending service.
Kalida and Columbus Grove on the north side of Lima have a few places. They are centered around farming and agriculture. There are families that have been living there for generations like the Stechschultes and the Wurths. Down-to-earth living. A nice place to raise a family. And a great place to run a vending machine business - as part of the community.
Let Vendor Locators help you find the ideal locations for your vending machines. In Lima or Rawson or Bluffton or Wapakonta - anywhere in the Lima area. We will do our very best to secure the best vending machine placement locations available.
Telephone me at:
(877) 850 -2934 TOLL FREE
Email Me at:
VEND @VendorLocators.com
